The weekly Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.

1. Op-Ed: Under Secretary of Agriculture Proud of Food Stamp Program Outreach Efforts
2. 2006 Hunger Champions Announced
3. USDA Awards $1.8 Million in Grants for Research on Food Assistance and Nutrition Programs
4. Number of Food Stamp Participants Increased 8 Percent from 2004 to 2005
5. Seasonal Variation in Food Insecurity Relates to Heating and Cooling Costs in Low-Income Elderly Households
6. Workers Will Be in Serious Financial Trouble if They Lose Their Paychecks During Flu Epidemic
7. Voters in Six States to Vote Minimum Wage Increase to Lowest-Paid Workers
8. California: Thousands of Los Angeles County Residents Are Eligible but Not Receiving Food Stamps
9. Washington: Complicated Paperwork and Misinformation Make King County Lag Behind in Food Stamp Participation
10. New York: Food Stamp Recipients Who Lost Food in Snowstorm Blackout Will Get Automatic Benefit Reimbursement
11. New York: Snowstorm Causes Rumor Leading to Food Stamp Panic
12. Missouri Food Stamp Program Is One of Country’s Best, Reaching 76 Percent of Eligible People
13. Maine: Surge in Food Stamp Use Reflects State’s Outreach Efforts
14. Michigan: Bridge Card Makes It Easier for Seniors to Get Food Benefits
15. North Carolina: Hayesville School Cafeterias Juggle Business Pressures and Students’ Lunch Debts
16. Indiana: Elkhart Food Pantry Feels Burn of Record Demand for Food
17. Michigan: Detroit Stores Struggle with High Number of Residents on Public Assistance
18. Ohio’s Working Poor Fall Victims to Lagging Economy
19. Nation’s Capital Faces Affordable Housing Crisis
20. Maryland Returns Legal Immigrants to Medicaid Rolls After Court Ruled They Were Illegally Denied Benefits

1. Op-Ed: Under Secretary of Agriculture Proud of Food Stamp Program Outreach Efforts

(“Proud of Federal Food Stamp Program,” latimes.com, October 20, 2006)

“Your story is misleading as it relates to illegal immigrants” who, by law, are not eligible for food stamp benefits, writes Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Nancy Montanez-Johner in the Los Angeles Times in response to the Oct. 13 article titled “Help That They Can Understand.” “Ensuring that all who are eligible for the food stamp program have access to nutrition assistance is a high priority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and our state and local partners,” the Under Secretary points out. States are required to verify applicants’ legal status. Legal immigrants who meet residency, income and asset requirements might be eligible to receive food stamps. “They and other eligible families are the focus of our outreach efforts. The USDA is proud of our efforts to ensure that all eligible families, and in particular underserved populations, have access to this critical nutrition program,” writes Montanez-Johner.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-le-friday20.3oct20,1,7687516.story?coll=la-news-comment

2. 2006 Hunger Champions Announced

(2006 Hunger Champions, fns.usda.gov, October 24, 2006)

The Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 2006 Food Stamp Hunger Champion Mentor Award winners at the State Food Stamp Directors conference. The Ashtabula ( Ohio) County Department of Job & Family Services and the North Shore Transitional Assistance Office in Salem, Mass., were named Food Stamp Hunger Champion Mentors. Seven other agencies from various states were given the Food Stamp Hunger Champion Honorable Mentor awards. The Food Stamp Hunger Champion awards recognize exemplary service in helping eligible people obtain food stamps. “The Food Stamp Program is the first line of defense against hunger,” said Kate Coler, FNCS Deputy Under Secretary. “USDA in partnership with state and local offices and advocacy organizations is committed to ensuring that everyone who is eligible for this Program knows about it and is able to access benefits with dignity and respect. We are very pleased to honor partners that have shown exemplary efforts in achieving this goal.”

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/outreach/champions.htm

3. USDA Awards $1.8 Million in Grants for Research on Food Assistance and Nutrition Programs

(“USDA Awards $1.8 Million for Research on Food Assistance and Nutrition Programs,” usda.gov, October 27, 2006)

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner announced $1.8 million in grant and cooperative agreement awards in eight states and the District of Columbia for research on food assistance and nutrition programs. “USDA’s food assistance and nutrition programs directly touch the lives of one in five Americans by providing children and low-income families access to nutritional food,” said Conner. “This research will help ensure access to healthy diets for all Americans.” The grants and cooperative agreements will fund projects in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, Texas, Vermont., Wisconsin and the District of Columbia in order to enhance USDA’s food and nutrition programs, using the expertise of external researchers. The projects will evaluate effects of asset eligibility changes for the Food Stamp Program; economic survival strategies of low-income families, including under what circumstances they use food stamps; relationships of certification error rates in the Food Stamp Program to state program policies, caseload characteristics, economic conditions, and expenditures on certification-related activities. The projects also will examine effects of participation in WIC, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs as well as relationships between local food environment, household food insecurity and obesity.

http://tinyurl.com/y4grjd

4. Number of Food Stamp Participants Increased 8 Percent from 2004 to 2005

(“Characteristics of Food Stamp Households: Fiscal Year 2005,” fns.usda.gov, September 2006)

On average, about 25.7 million people living in 11.2 million households in the United States received food stamps each month in FY 2005, reports the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Compared with FY 2004, the number of participants increased by 8 percent and the benefit costs increased by 16 percent. Food stamp recipients represent a broad cross-section of the nation’s poor. Half of them were children and another 8 percent were age 60 or older. Working-age women represented 28 percent of the caseload, while working-age men represented 13 percent. Less than 12 percent had incomes above the poverty line, while 40 percent had incomes at or below half the poverty line. The average food stamp household received a monthly benefit of $209. Food stamps accounted for nearly one-fourth of available funds (cash income plus food stamps) for a typical household. One of the “most striking” changes in the characteristics of food stamp households from 1990 to 2005 is the shift of the primary source of income from welfare to work. In 1990, 42 percent of all food stamp households received welfare and only 19 percent had earnings. In 2005, only 15 percent received welfare, while 29 percent had earnings. The percentage of households with no cash income doubled from 7 percent in 2000 to 14 percent in 2005. The report does not include information about people who received disaster assistance after the Gulf Coast hurricanes in October 2004 and September 2005.

http://tinyurl.com/y9cae2 (full report)

http://tinyurl.com/y6t8aq (summary)

5. Seasonal Variation in Food Insecurity Relates toHeating and Cooling Costs in Low-Income Elderly Households

(“Seasonal Variation in Food Insecurity Is Associated with Heating and Cooling Costs among Low-Income Elderly Americans,” jn.nutrition.org, November 2006)

A study by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that seasonally high heating and cooling costs affect the incidence of very low food security – the more severe range of food insecurity – in low-income households, especially those consisting entirely of elderly persons. In high-cooling states, the chances of very low food security for poor, elderly-only households were 27 percent higher in the summer than in the winter. In high-heating states, the chances of very low food security were 43 percent lower in the summer. “In light of recent sharp increases in home heating and cooling costs in many parts of the U.S., it is important to understand the extent to which households make tradeoffs between heating and cooling costs and other basic needs that affect their food security,” the study pointed out. It appeared in the November issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/136/11/2939

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/energy_paper05.pdf (FRAC analysis, “Heat and Eat: Using Federal Nutrition Programs to Cushion the Shock of Skyrocketing Heating Bills”)

6. Workers Will Be in Serious Financial Trouble if They Lose Their Paychecks During Flu Epidemic

(“Willing, Not Ready for Flu Outbreak,” marketplace.publicradio.org, October 26, 2006)

In case of a global flu outbreak, most Americans are willing to follow the government’s instructions for stopping the spread of the disease, but would run into serious financial problems if they stayed out of work, said Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. His recent survey revealed that 57 percent of the people would be “in real trouble” in a month. “And in 3 months it’s 76 percent,” said Blendon during an interview with NPR. “Even at a week—seven to ten-days—one in four people who are employed, they can’t make it, they’re living paycheck to paycheck. Telling them to stay at home is going to cause a terrible financial problem.” Most of the people surveyed did not know whether their employers would give them any pay if they had to stay home. Blendon pointed out that lower wage workers, in particular, will be hit hard. “They can’t sit around for a couple weeks with no checks coming in. And if we can’t figure out some way to help them, they’re gonna be desperate and looking for some place to work, and possibly infect themselves or someone else.” Blendon said we need to “start thinking about how do we deal with people if they’re not going to be able to get a paycheck.”

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/10/26/PM200610264.html

7. Voters in Six States to Vote Minimum Wage Increase to Lowest-Paid Workers

(“State Minimum Wages on the Ballot,” epi.org, October 25, 2006)

On November 7, voters in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio will be given the opportunity to raise wages for as many as 1.5 million workers, reports the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). If the initiatives to raise their state’s minimum wage pass, the states’ lowest-paid workers will receive increases ranging from $1 an hour in Nevada and Montana to $1.70 an hour in Colorado and Ohio. Future increases will be tied to a cost-of-living index. In these states, as many as 652,000 children might benefit from their parent’s wage increase, according to the EPI analysis. If these six states raise their minimum wages, 70 percent of the U.S. workforce will live in a state with a minimum wage higher than the federal level. Currently 22 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages above the federal minimum, which is still $5.15 an hour. “On December 2, 2006, the United States will set a record for the longest period of time ever without a federal minimum wage increase. Due to this federal inaction, the minimum wage is at its lowest real value in over 50 years and continues to decline,“ EPI estimates.

8. California: Thousands of Los Angeles County Residents Are Eligible but Not Receiving Food Stamps

(“Eligible Residents Are Not Receiving Food Stamps,” cbs2.com, October 18, 2006)

About 620,000 people living in Los Angeles County currently receive food stamps. If the rest of the eligible but non-participating residents – 586,000 individuals – signed up for the benefits, they would collectively receive up to $463 million in assistance annually, according to “Food Stamp Access in Urban America,” a report by the Food Research and Action Center. “That’s a lot of support county residents are missing out on,” said Michael Flood of the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. The foodbank is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services to sign up more eligible families for food stamps. “The average benefit is $98 a month, and that can add just enough to a family’s budget to help keep some recipients from going hungry,” Flood stressed. Higher food stamp use also will ease the growing strain on food banks and other charitable food programs, he said. Language and cultural barriers as well as confusing paperwork are main factors contributing to lower participation.

http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_291190012.html

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/cities2006.pdf (FRAC’s report, “Food Stamp Access in Urban America: A City-by-City Snapshot”)

9. Washington: Complicated Paperwork and Misinformation Make King County Lag Behind in Food Stamp Participation

(“$54 Million for Food Unused,” seattlepi.nwsource.com, October 20, 2006)

Only half of those eligible for food stamps in King County, Wash., actually receive them, according to FRAC’s study on food stamp access in urban America. The Seattle metro area is near the bottom of the list for participation in the Food Stamp Program. If all eligible residents had received their benefits in 2004, families in the region would have been able to buy $54 million more in groceries, the study found. “I was pretty shocked to see that King County and Seattle were just at 51 percent participation,” said Linda Stone of the Children’s Alliance. Stone believes that language difficulties may contribute to the problem among immigrant groups, but the required documents are the biggest hurdle. “The application is quite intrusive and for some people, really off-putting,” she said. Also, “even though most folks who are legally in the country are eligible, there’s a lot of misinformation and fear in those communities,” Stone pointed out. Efforts are underway to ease food stamp access, including an over-the-phone interview to allow potential applicants to check their eligibility and learn about the application process.

10. New York: Food Stamp Recipients Who Lost Food in Snowstorm Blackout Will Get Automatic Benefit Reimbursement

(“Food Stamps to Be Reimbursed,” buffalonews.com, October 20, 2006)

The 97,000 people in Erie County, N.Y., who receive food stamps will have 73 percent of their October allotment automatically reimbursed to their benefit cards, county and state officials announced. In the week since the Oct. 12 snowstorm and subsequent blackout, thousands of families lost the food they bought with food stamps. The federal government has waived the requirement to fill out reimbursement forms. Without the automatic reimbursement, food stamp recipients would have had to either go downtown or get a form mailed to them, then would still face as much as 10 day wait to get the reimbursement. Before the announcement, at least 7,000 people came to the Rath County Office Building to fill out the forms, many of them waiting in long lines in the rain. Many others tried to call their social workers asking to have the forms mailed to them, jamming the office’s phone lines. Local food pantries and soup kitchens have been struggling to meet the sudden increase in demand for food after the storm. “We are running low,” said Clem Eckert of the Food Bank of Western New York, which supplies food to the area’s food agencies.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061020/1045798.asp

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/dfspguide06.pdf (FRAC’s “Advocate’s Guide to the Disaster Food Stamp Program”)

11. New York: Snowstorm Causes Rumor Leading to Food Stamp Panic

(“Storm Related Rumor Creates Long Lines and Panic,” wivb.com, October 23, 2006)

A rumor alleging that emergency food stamp benefits, issued after a recent snowstorm in Western New York, would expire by midnight created big lines and panic at Buffalo stores last Sunday. Erie County Commissioner of Social Services Mike Weiner explained that the rumor was untrue. He pointed out that it would be unrealistic to credit electronic benefit cards on a Friday and expect people to spend their food stamps by Monday. “When we get a re-issuance like this, which is really an extraordinary measure, you don’t usually get waivers like this. It’s to benefit individuals by giving them resources to help deal with the fact that they lost so much food,” Weiner said. Tanisha Braction described the panic, saying “everybody’s been rushing back and forth from all these different stores.” “Cause food is hard to come by, and during the storm, I lost a lot of food,” added Don Moore. Storm victims received an automatic 73 percent food stamp credit to help replace any food they might have lost. They have up to nine months to use them.

http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5576906

12. Missouri Food Stamp Program Is One of Country’s Best, Reaching 76 Percent of Eligible People

(“The Missouri Food Stamp Program: Good for Families, Good for Farmers, Good for Missouri,” mobudget.org, October 20, 2006)

The Missouri Food Stamp Program helps 789,661 low-income Missourians, or 13.2 percent of the state’s population, buy food and meet their nutritional needs each month, according to a report released by the Missouri Association for Social Welfare, the Missouri Budget Project and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. This food assistance is “crucial to financially pressed families” and beneficial to the state’s economy that received $735,757,569 in food stamp money last year. In FY 2003, 76 percent of eligible people participated in the program. During the recent recession and a weak recovery, program participation in Missouri increased by 81.1 percent over five years. “The program’s speed at delivering nutrition assistance in times of need, e.g. disasters or economic downturns, is a significant advantage in the battle to prevent hunger in Missouri,” the report points out. The program recently won a $1.39 million bonus award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which assigned the state one of the best Program Access Indexes in the country. “ Missouri now has an opportunity to re-invest the bonus money into improving the Missouri Food Stamp Program and reap more bonus awards from the federal government,” states the report.

http://www.mobudget.org/Food%20Stamp%20Report%20Oct%202006.pdf

13. Maine: Surge in Food Stamp Use Reflects State’s Outreach Efforts

(“Food Stamp Use Surge Linked to Better Outreach,” timesrecord.com, October 20, 2006)

A surge in food stamp use in Maine indicates that the state is doing a better job at reaching people who already were eligible for the program, but not taking advantage of it, according to an analysis by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. A recent report by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center showed that food stamp participation rose 49 percent from 2002 to 2005, reaching 60 percent in the state’s most affluent counties, Knox and Hancock. Maine received a $440,000 high performance bonus award for signing more people up from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will use the money to keep improving access to food stamps. The state is one of the top three states in terms of getting benefits to eligible people. In 2002, Maine implemented a computer system that makes it easier to cross-qualify people for food stamps based on eligibility for more than 20 other government programs, including Medicaid and Drugs for the Elderly, said Barbara VanBurgel of the state’s HHS. “One of the big things we did is we integrated our system so when someone applies for one program, we screen them for food stamps,” she explained. “If it appears they’re eligible, we ask them if they want to be considered.” Like other states, Maine stopped using the old paper coupon system and offers an electronic, debit-like card to let recipients pay for their food.

http://tinyurl.com/y22a8p

Also see http://www.umaine.edu/mcsc/Research/2006PovertyRpt/index.html (report, “Poverty in Maine 2006”)

14. Michigan: Bridge Card Makes It Easier for Seniors to Get Food Benefits

(“Senior Grocery Help May Be in the Card,” mlive.com, October 22, 2006)

The Michigan Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCafe) is designed to improve the diets of senior citizens in Michigan and connect them to Bridge Card that gives them access to extra grocery money ranging from $10 to $100 monthly. Since 2002, more than 1,800 Genesee County seniors have used the card, said Kate White, MiCafe’s executive director. Genesee County was the pilot site for the program, which allows seniors to apply for the Bridge Card at their local senior centers. Jean Johnson of Burton Senior Activity Center called it a big improvement. Senior centers also offer guidance on budget cooking. “There are large numbers of seniors who are skipping meals. Instead of eating three meals a day they were having just one so they could pay for medicine or pay the light bill or keep the heat on or get gas in their car,” said White. Skipping meals is a prescription for disaster, added Ann Roat of McLaren Regional Medical Center. “If your nutrition system is depleted, you’re subject to any kind of bacteria or virus that comes along, and that makes you a sitting duck for illness.”

http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-39/1161512843168820.xml&coll=5&thispage=2

Editor’s note: The Bridge Card is Michigan’s name for their food stamp EBT card.

15. North Carolina: Hayesville School Cafeterias Juggle Business Pressures and Students’ Lunch Debts

(“Lunchroom Incident Sparks New Procedures,” smokymountainsentinel.com, October 20, 2006)

A fifth grade student at Hayesville (N.C.) Middle School was not allowed to purchase lunch and had it taken away because his lunch account balance was in the “red.” The student was given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the school’s “free lunch” provided to those who do not have money in their accounts or cash to pay for their meals. When the child’s parents complained about the incident, the Food Services Director Barbara Wood said the cafeteria was not included in the 5th grade orientation. As a result, parents and students were not aware of policy changes that do not allow middle school students to go into the “red” and still have meals, which the elementary school allows. The school is trying to help middle school students remember their new responsibilities of bringing in lunch money on time. The child’s mother suggested that a child’s hand be stamped when it’s time for parents to send in the money. The school says that it cannot afford feeding students for free. “The State of North Carolina does not provide funds for school lunches. School cafeterias in North Carolina are operated as a business,” stated Clay County School Superintendent D. Scott Penland. Middle school students are now allowed to go into the “red” for up to three unpaid lunches and then borrow money from a special fund. After that, the only alternative for them is to have a free sandwich. “I have advocated in the past, along with other superintendents, that school breakfast and lunches be a part of the regular school day and provided ‘free’ to all students,” commented Wood. “We provide, books, transportation, classrooms, etc. at no cost. “Why not meals? It would require a tax increase …. [to] send us the money to operate our School Food Service Program.”

http://www.smokymountainsentinel.com/news/2006/1018/Front_Page/001.html

16. Indiana: Elkhart Food Pantry Feels Burn of Record Demand for Food

(“Elkhart Pantry Limits Families Served,” southbendtribune.com, October 25, 2006)

Faced with record demand for food, Church Community Services in Elkhart, Ind., is limiting the amount of food it hands out to people coming to their food pantry. The need has been so high that the pantry has been forced to close after the first 80 families come through every day. “When we’ve started to see layoffs and plants closing,” our clientele increased, said Dean Preheim-Bartel, executive director. The Salvation Army in Elkhart and Goshen also report an increasing number of people seeking emergency food. Major John Crampton said about 60 percent of nearly180 people who come for a free breakfast each morning at the Elkhart Salvation Army are working poor. For clients who lack health insurance or benefits, “any emergency at all puts their life in a tailspin,” he said.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/News01/61025013

17. Michigan: Detroit Stores Struggle with High Number of Residents on Public Assistance

(“The Quality of Urban Life: Grocery Chains Sit out Detroit’s Rebirth,” freep.com, October 23, 2006)

The lack of full-service grocery stores in downtown Detroit and in the city’s neighborhoods has remained a problem since the mid-1970s when big chain stores left the city. “A lot of people are locked into a liquor store or convenience store as their main source of food. You aren’t going to get spinach and carrots or salmon there,” said David Malhalab, a retired Detroit police officer who drives to suburbs to shop. In addition to security and costly maintenance and insurance issues, grocery operators say Detroit stores struggle with a high number of residents on public assistance, which creates a monthly boom-and-bust cycle. Store sales are up around the first of the month when food assistance benefits are paid. But for the next 20 days of the month, grocers have trouble selling enough to keep stores fully staffed or stocked. According to the 2004 U.S. Census figures, about 25 percent of Detroit households receive cash assistance or food stamps. Michigan lawmakers are considering a bill that would require the state to make two food stamp distributions every month. This would even out the grocery stores’ cycle in high poverty areas and help families better budget their monthly benefit allotments that are often spent in one shopping trip. The Michigan Food Policy Council, however, favors another proposal that would distribute food stamp benefits once a month, but at staggered times. The Michigan Grocers Association believes staggering benefits would allow stores to provide fresh food throughout the month.

http://tinyurl.com/y3628s

Also see http://tinyurl.com/ya9jy8 (“The Quality of Urban Life: Food Violations Higher in Detroit,” freep.com, October 24, 2006)

18. Ohio’s Working Poor Fall Victims to Lagging Economy

(“Working Poor: Enough Pay for Rent, Not Always for Food,” fortwayne.com, October 21, 2006)

Columbus resident Leah Poare, 38, has one wish for candidates running for Ohio governor as they promise to boost the state’s lagging economy: Don’t ignore the working poor. “They need to look at the people who don’t have much, who are scraping and working their butts off to try to find jobs and make a living,” she said. Poare does not have a high school diploma and is struggling to find a stable job other than house cleaning and landscaping. Her husband earns about $1,200 a month after taxes, but after paying rent and utility bills, there is not much left for food. Several times a month, Poare ends up in a food pantry line among the unemployed and working poor. There she finds sausage, spaghetti, bread and canned food, but baby food, cereal, vegetables and other healthier items are hit-or-miss. Even with the groceries help, Poare and her husband limit themselves to one full meal a day, usually dinner, so their three children, ages 6, 7 and 17, can eat three full meals a day. “There’s considerable human suffering across the state,” said George Zeller of the Center for Community Solutions. Ohio’s job growth has lagged the national average for more than 10 years, he said. Official poverty numbers do not reflect the full picture, because people like the Poares, with the annual income just beyond the federal poverty threshold, are excluded from the official ranks.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/15812810.htm

19. Nation’s Capital Faces Affordable Housing Crisis

(“Families in District Struggling for Shelter,” washingtonpost.com, October 22, 2006)

Rising rents and a drop in available low-cost housing have created a crisis situation, according to District of Columbia officials. The number of homeless families seeking shelter in the District has more than doubled in the past decade. The city has asked landlords to delay evicting tenants who cannot pay their rent. Two years after Mayor Anthony A. Williams started “Homeless No More” initiative to end homelessness by 2014, the city is scrambling to find available housing space before the cold weather sets in. “Homeless No More is a long-term plan that doesn’t address the short-term crisis which is occurring right now,” said Kate Jesberg who recently retired from the city’s Human Services Department. Jesberg and her successor, Brian L. Wilbon, worry that many families might have no place to live by the end of the year. According to the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, 2,839 families applied for emergency shelter in FY 2006. In FY 1996, it was 1,406 families. “We’ve made tremendous progress” by having built 300 units of transitional housing in the first full year of the program’s implementation, said Deputy Mayor Brenda Donald Walker. But demand for shelter far exceeds supply, she acknowledged. A growing number of homeless families have working parents but still need help. Housing officials say that more than 50,000 people are on waiting lists for a spot in public housing or through local aid or federally subsidized voucher programs. Meanwhile, the pool of affordable apartments in the District is constantly dwindling, and families who end up in emergency shelters often cannot afford to move out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/21/AR2006102100335.html

20. Maryland Returns Legal Immigrants to Medicaid Rolls After Court Ruled They Were Illegally Denied Benefits

(“State Puts Legal Immigrants Back on Medicaid Rolls,” gazette.net, October 20, 2006)

Maryland has restored Medicaid benefits to 4,000 children and pregnant women who are legal immigrants after 13 plaintiffs won a months-long legal battle over their health care in the Maryland Court of Appeals. The court ruled that in 2005 Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. violated the state’s constitution by cutting a program that provided health care to 4,000 children and pregnant women who were legal immigrants living in the United States for less than five years. State Health Secretary S. Anthony McCann said the plaintiffs were put back on the Medicaid rolls. “I could not be more thrilled,” said Douglas M. Bregman, an attorney with Bregman, Berbert, Schwartz & Gilday who represented the 13 legal immigrants that filed the lawsuit, including a 16-year-old girl with West Nile virus and a 7-year-old boy with cancer. The program had cost the state $7 million out of the total $4 billion Medicaid budget.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/102006/polia%20s194334_31947.shtml